IT’S BUSINESS as usual for Keith Alexander, despite a health scare that saw him undergo a brain scan on Saturday.

The Macc Town manager spent Saturday afternoon in hospital after being taken ill the night before his side’s home defeat to Bournemouth.

Fifty-one-year-old Alexander, whose brush with death due to a brain aneurysm five years ago is well documented, was taken to Macclesfield General Hospital’s neurology department.

He had passed out and spent most of the previous evening vomiting but as a precaution, was advised by club medics to get checked out.

A consultant quelled the fears of all concerned when he gave Alexander the all-clear and the Moss Rose manager returned home late on Saturday evening.

"It’s business as usual, you’ve just got to get on with it," said Alexander while relaxing at his home in Lincoln.

"I’m not one to just sit still and feel sorry for myself. I’d asked for the teletext to be put on in the waiting room and I wanted to get a taxi back to the ground but they wouldn’t let me."

Messages of support, from Cherries fans and well-wishers across the country as well as Silkmen followers, flooded message boards and the club, something the ever-popular Alexander admits was a comfort to him.

"I’d really like to thank everybody for their support. It puts it all into perspective but I’m grateful for the support they’ve given me."

A self-confessed testing patient, Alexander returns to the Moss Rose today [Wed] to resume preparations for this weekend’s trip to Luton Town.

"There was a bug going round last week, the chef and some of the players have had it.

"Perhaps I shouldn’t have come into work that day, but my generation just goes to work, no matter what. You get on with it and don’t make excuses.

"My wife wasn’t very happy with me but the good news is that I am perfectly well, really perfectly well and have been given a complete all-clear.

"I don’t know what it was, I just know I’m OK, my blood pressure’s OK [Alexander takes medication to combat his low blood pressure] and I’m in the clear."

Since his first aneurysm, in November 2003, his essentially relaxed attitude doesn’t necessarily transfer to the playing field, where he is looking for a big improvement from his players.

Currently in 17th in League Two, Alexander admitted at last Thurday’s fans’ forum that he was the most displeased with their present position.

But, having taken charge just over one year ago, he concluded: "It’s not been a bad first year in charge, it’s been a reasonable season.

"We’ve had two games against Premier League opposition in the cups and we’ve had some good results against teams with three or four times more money than we have.

"We’ve brought some money in and we’ve got plenty of teams below us in the table.

"We know we’ve not done ourselves justice, especially at home, but we’re trying to do the best that we can with what we can afford while making sure that the club can survive, that’s the most important thing."

But Alexander will not settle for survival and collect his wage - he is demanding more from the next campaign.

"I fully expect us to be challenging next season," he claimed.

"I won’t get carried away but if we’re not challenging, then I don’t expect I’ll be here.

"Myself and Gary Simpson have already been talking to a number of players that we want to bring in for next season, so we’re expecting better things.

"I was speaking to [Peterborough United director of football] Barry Fry recently and he told me he’s glad of signings I made when I was there, his club would be in a much poorer position without them."

Alexander also saved praise for two young players who made their first starts for the club last Saturday, Corby Town signing Rikki Bains and academy striker John Rooney.

"They’ve been doing well in the reserves and

they will be two players that we’re relying on next year.

"John in particular is a very, very good young player and I promised him a run in the team, but we just haven’t been playing well enough for me to give him that run."